Mike Mulholland | MLive.com When you play basketball at Michigan State, the mindset is national championship or bust. That’s the kind of program that Tom Izzo has built. The Spartans are expected to open up with one of the top ranked teams in the nation when the preseason polls are released. And with two potential NBA draft lottery picks in senior forward Adreian Payne and sophomore guard Gary Harris, Michigan State is a legitimate national championship contender. But like I said, just being a contender isn’t good enough. If you ask junior forward Branden Dawson, they’re going to win it. On Tuesday, Dawson posted the following to his Ask.fm: “We’re gonna win a national championship. MARK MY WORD.” Dawson has had a bit of a disappointing career thus far in East Lansing with multiple injuries not helping his cause. Last year, he averaged a mere 8.9 points per game. According to Izzo, Dawson has been in the gym every day working on his game. While the confidence is fine and dandy and refreshing for Spartan fans to hear, it’s important to realize that it’s only July. [MLive.com]

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